iDiplomacy’s new media panel Monday included Adam Conner, Facebook’s DC associate manager for privacy and global public policy, Price Floyd, principal deputy assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs, James Fowler, author of Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, Josh Klein, hacker of social systems, computer networks, institutions and animal behavior and Peter Marx, vice president of production and technology for Mattel.
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Rosa Brooks from the Defense Department – but speaking in a personal capacity – spoke Monday about the need to change the narrative lens through which we view the world. Instead of a zero sum game emphasizing containment it should emphasize sustainability. For the Defense Department, that means “security” can’t be synonymous with “defense.”

The different agencies departments also need to work together better, Brooks said. “Those of you who are less-DC oriented – you would be shocked at how badly the executive – even the executive branch agencies – do work together.” That’s because of legislative, cultural and budgetary barriers as well as simply bad habits.

Brooks also spoke of the need to close the “say-do gap”:
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates were jointly interviewed by Frank Sesno, George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs director, and Christiane Amanpour, CNN chief international correspondent, Oct. 5 at GW’s Lisner Auditorium. CNN broadcast the interview Oct. 6.

Clinton and Gates touched on public diplomacy a couple of times. The full transcript is also available.

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